O’Brien, Robert C. (1918-1973), was the pen name of Robert Leslie Conly, an American author of children’s books. O’Brien won the 1972 Newbery Medal for Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971). This novel tells about a widowed mouse who willingly faces many dangers to save her invalid son. She receives aid from superintelligent rats who have escaped from a laboratory at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
O’Brien was born in New York City on Jan. 11, 1918. His first children’s book was The Silver Crown (1968). He died on March 5, 1973. His last book, Z for Zachariah, a mystery story for young readers, was published in 1974, after his death.
